Jason Ryan: All Blacks and Andrew Brace ‘learned a lot’ in first Springboks Test
Jason Ryan says that the team and the officials learned a lot at Ellis Park.
All Blacks coach Jason Ryan says that the team learned a lot from the Ellis Park defeat to the Springboks as did referee Andrew Brace.
Rugby’s greatest rivalry took centre stage in round three of the Rugby Championship, with South Africa and New Zealand facing off for the first time since the Rugby World Cup final in France in 2023.
Much like the showpiece event last year, the clash in Johannesburg was filled with controversial moments, including a high tackle on Siya Kolisi, Bongi Mbonambi’s contentious try and Codie Taylor’s opening five-pointer all being scrutinised.
All Blacks and official learn from Ellis Park Test
It was a challenging match for the officials particularly considering World Rugby’s press for the referees and TMO to make speedier decisions and the hostile environment that Ellis Park created.
In the end, it was the Springboks who emerged 31-27 victors thanks largely to the impact of their famed ‘Bomb Squad’ and the All Blacks’ implosion in the final quarter of the match.
Despite the defeat, All Blacks assistant coach Ryan was not willing to pin any blame on the officials and neither was flanker Ethan Blackadder.
“We haven’t mentioned any of that stuff, it’s all on us and the performance because ultimately refereeing you can never influence a referee but you can’t control their decisions and that’s how it has always been will be,” Blackadder told reporters.
His coach added: “It was a big Test match for Andrew Brace wasn’t it, a very big Test match for him so I’m sure he would have learned a lot as we did.”
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Fronting the Springboks’ scrum
Meanwhile, Ryan was rather pleased by the performance of his pack as they managed to put in a strong shift in the scrums against the heralded Springboks forwards.
This despite the absence of loosehead prop Ethan de Groot who missed the trip to South Africa due to a back injury. Tamaiti Williams was elevated to the starting XV and held his own for the most part against double World Cup-winning prop Frans Malherbe.
Ryan added that he was looking to catching up with Springboks scrum guru Daan Human after the clash at Cape Town this weekend and spoke highly of his opposition coach.
“Our boys had a good go it,” the All Blacks coach remarked.
“I think there’s a similar mindset between both packs that they want to scrummage there are not a lot of games going on.
“Both teams want a crack at it and Daan – who I know really well – prides himself in that area as I do so I look forward to catching up with him after the game.
“But I think that the two teams both scrummage pretty positively.”
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Ethan Blackadder’s form
Finally, Ryan also praised Blackadder’s performances in recent Test matches for the All Blacks having seemingly overcome his struggles with injuries.
The flanker put in notable shifts in both Test matches against Argentina and was just as effective against the Boks at Ellis Park.
“He’s been great, really good and you talk about physicality and intensity it’s sort of one thing I know about Ethan is the bigger the contest, the better he goes,” Ryan added.
“He showed some good consistency in his game and he’s had some big shifts.
“He’s gone to the well and every Test he’s played and he’s given it everything he has got. He does hard work during the week and credit to him.”
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